tile optionsSo you’ve decided to replace the tile in your bathroom - but once you have seen all the options, you might realize that deciding which type to choose is not as easy as it sounds. Will you choose stone, ceramic, porcelain, or glass? What about the color? And the shape? Basically, every tile is beautiful, so how could anyone choose just one?

There are some specific things to think about when choosing your bathroom’s new tile. You need to ponder where exactly the tile is going to go, how much you are willing to spend, and how often it will realistically be used. This helpful guide will give you a better idea of how to go through this decision-making process.

Location

Is the tile going to go on the floor or the walls? If you’re updating your bathroom walls, you may want to consider bathroom wall surround replacements. Stone, ceramic, and porcelain, on the other hand, are usually the best option for a floor. If you need the tile for the floor of your shower, you could use some sort of ceramic mosaic to make sure the surface isn’t too slippery. This won’t be such a big problem elsewhere in the bathroom, on the other hand.

Glass has become more common recently since glass tiles have a wider variety of color and finish options, and they are recycled easily. That being said, glass isn’t as reliable in terms of strength and durability.

Porcelain is also a popular choice for floors since it is both strong and water-resistant. This makes it a great choice for bathrooms, where moisture is constantly present. Ceramic tile is waterproof - making it even better for the bathroom environment. It is also very durable and usually comes at a reasonable price. Even better, it’s easy to clean!

If you’re just looking for something more natural-looking and the strongest option on the market, natural stone is the way to go. Make sure the stones aren’t porous (or if they are, they are sealed), or else they can become damaged easily.

If you are installing the tile yourself, try going for tiles that are larger in size. They are much easier to place (as long as the manufacturer makes them all exactly the same size).

It’s All About the Money

When it comes down to it, your budget is going to be the most important deciding factor, right? In fact, knowing your budget could save you a lot of time on decision-making. Take the following information into account:

Ceramic tile costs between $2 and $20 per square foot.

Natural stone: $7 - $20 per square foot

Glass: $7-30 per square foot

Porcelain: $3 - $25 per square foot

Function

The third most basic question you must ask yourself is, how much use will the tile actually get? Certain materials are better than others when it comes to lasting a long time with a high rate of use. Porcelain, for instance, works well for high traffic areas. Floors especially need a stronger rating.

Tile is rated according to the level of traffic: 1 for no foot traffic, and 5 for heavy or extra-heavy traffic. You can figure out the numbers in between. Most porcelain is rated as a 4 or 5, which is how you know it holds up through a lot of use.

You can also choose smaller decorative areas of a fancier tile, such as a mosaic, in case you don’t have the money or time to install it into your entire bathroom.